Agresseively Modern Times

“A story of industry of individual enterprise – humanity crusading in the pursuit of happiness”. (opening placard Modern Times)\n\nWhat if Charlie Chaplins Modern Times were to be filmed today? And this not in the factory, but in the arts sector. Together with Femke Gyselinck, Maya Mertens (Vieze Meisje), Jeroen van Der Ven, and Lawrence Mcguire (Hogobogobogo), Ferre Marnef goes in search of what capital means within the fluid labor model of today's freelancer. The performance dynamites the shiny facades of the artistic entrepreneurs of the self to understand its own character.\nAggressively Modern Times wants to keep alive the thought that intervening in this fluid world is still possible. It is a peep-box about living and working in a climate where humans increasingly seem to be degraded to a means: either functioning, or failing. In between, as with machines, there is nothing.\n\nIn his first full-fledged performance since Desnor, Ferre Marnef crosses sound and image. It is as much a concert as it is a theatrical performance, but secretly wants to be neither. The visual and sonic collage drags the present onto the stage; the city-as-machine, the artist-as-brand, to escape the Rules of Art as a soft punk act.\n\nby/with: Femke Gyselinck, Ferre Marnef, Lawrence McGuire, Maya Mertens & Jeroen Van der Ven dramaturgy: Marie Peeters \nproduction: Sergeant\ncoproduction: KWP\nwith thanks to: Mooni van Tichel, a e i o u, CAMPO, KVS & Pilar